Quenching device



Oct. 23, 1945. v I w. PJSHAKS 2,387,414

QUENCHING DEVICE Filed Marqh 30, I943 WILLIAM R SHA/(S I G. 5

' 44 42 INVENTOR /A, BY

ATTORNEY Patented. Oct. 23, 1945 QUENCHING nnvrcn William P. Shaks,Woodside, N. Y. l 7. Application March 30, 1943, SerialNo. 481,171

(c1. ace-4;)

3 Claims.

My invention relates to quenching devices and lws particularreference todevices or apparatus for quenchingpf heated steel objects for theirhardening. l

. Theobject of my invention isto provide an apparatus for rapidquenching of heated steel objects simultaneously from two sides in orderto avoid any warping which otherwise may take place.

When hardening flat objects such as fiat discs, gears, discs, etc., byordinary methods, it is difficultto avoid warping of such objectsbecause one side or one end of the object usually becomes immersed orotherwise subjected to the action of a quenching liquid ahead of theother side or end. It is also often necessary to harden a limited areaof the object, as, for instance, in blanking dies where the cutting edgearound the hole must be very hard While the rest of the die shouldpreferably remain relatively soft to avoid cracking of the die inservice. For such purposes I provide an apparatus in which a heatedobject is placed on a supporting fixture and is simultaneously subjectedto an adjusted spray or stream of a quenching liquid from the upper andlower sides thereby preventing warping of the object. The spray is solocalized that only the cutting edges are hardened.

Another object of my invention is to provide means for individuallyadjusting the rateof flow or the liquid at the top and at" the bottom.of the object.

Still another objectof my invention is to provide means automatically'toopen spray when the object is placed in a correct position on asupporting fixture.

My invention is more fully described in the accompanying specificationand drawing in which- Fig. 1 is an elevational view of my deviceshowililg an object to be quenched in an operative posit on;

Fig. 2 is a fractional view of the same showing the device in aninoperative position with the obj ect removed;

Fig. 3 is an end viewof the device;-

Fig. 4 is a detail view of a quenching fixture;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view of a modified quenching fixture.

My quenching device consists of a supporting fixture formed of twoparallel bars or rods I supported at the ends on posts or legs 2extending to the floor 3 of a room in which the device is located. Thebars are used for supporting an object 4 to be quenched. For very smallobjects 5 a wire screen .6, Fig. 3, may be placed on the rods I.

Quenching liquid I, such as water, oil or a salt solution, is held in atank or other suitable container 8 supported on legs 9. A pipe inextends I191?! the bottom of. the tank with a valve II for SbODDil'Xgand starting the flow of the liquid. The pipe is branched out below thevalve into pipes I2 and I3, the pipe I2 extending above the supportingbars and the pipe I3 extending below them. These pipes have valves I4and I5 for regulating the relative amount of flow to the work 4.Removable spraying nozzles I6, H, are attached to the ends of the pipesas by screws I8. Various types of nozzles may be used in connection withthe pipes l2 and I3 such as, for instance, double nozzles -as shown forsimultaneously delivering sprays, localized against two holes I9, 20 inthe work 4. The cutting edges only of the holes are therefore hardened,leaving the rest of the die relatively soft.

My device can be used to advantage in quantity production where a largenumber of similar articles must be quenched in an exactly similarmanner. To facilitate and to expedite the quenching operation, anattachment is provided for automatically positioning the work in a rightplace in relation to the nozzles and simultaneously automaticallyopening the sprays. This attachment consists of a stopping block 2 I,slidably fitted on the bars I and clamped in a desired place by a screw22. A finger 23 slides in the block and is normally held in an extendedor inoperative position as shown in Fig. 2 by a retrieving spring 24.The other end of the finger is connected by a link 25 with a gear sector26, operating a pinion 2'! on the handle of a second valve 28. The valveis therefore automatically opened by the pressure of the work againstthefinger 23 when the work is placed against the stop 2 I.

A plate 30 may be placed on top of the die with holes 3| for thequenching fluid. These holes are larger than the holes I9, the margindetermining the width of the hardened zone around the holes.

A special fixture 32 may be employed for quantity quenching, the fixturehaving a top plate 33, hinged at 34 and having a clamping screw 35. Thefiuid is sprayed through holes 3I, 36, larger than the hole I9. in thedie or similar article 4. A lug 3'! on the fixture turns a handle 38 onthe valve 28 and opens the latter for spraying. Removal of the fixtureautomatically closes the valve.

The quenching liquid flows from the work into a pan 29 underneath and isdrained through a pipe 39.

A modified fixture as shown in Fig. 5, consisting of a receptacle 40with a recess for a die 4|, and a cover 42 with a projection 43 fittedinto the recess, holes 44, 4-5 direct streams of water on the edges ofan opening l9 in the die.

It is understood that my quenching devices may be further modifiedwithout departing from the spirit of the invention, as set forth in theappended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A quenching device comprising means to support a piece of work at anelevation; a pro-.

tective plate adapted to be placed on top of the work and having anopening for admitting a quenching fluid to a limited spot on the work;means to direct the fluid against the exposed portion of the workthrough the opening; and means to control the flow of the fluid by theposition of the work with the plate on the supporting means.

2. A quenching device comprising protective plates for the upper andlower sides of a piece of work; means to clamp the plates against thework, the plates having openings registering with spots on the workwhich must be hardened;

means to direct the-flow of a. fluid against the 1 work through theopenings from the top and from the bottom; and means to control theadmittance of the fluid to the work by the position of the clampingmeans on the supporting means.

3. A quenching device comprising a table; a removable enclosure for awork with openings for the portions of the work to bequenched;

means to support the enclosure with the work in an operative position; atank for a quenching liquid supported at an elevation above the work; avalve at the bottom of the tank for stopping and starting fiow of theliquid; an upper pipe extending from the valve above the work; a lowerpipe extending from the valve below the work; removable nozzles at theends of the pipes for directing the liquid into desired points'on thework simultaneously from the top and from the bottom; a block adjustablymounted on the table; a finger slidably supported on the block adaptedto be moved when the enclosure with the work is placed against theblock; means to open the valve when the finger is moved by theenclosure; and yieldable means to return the finger into its originalposition when the work is removed from the table.

V WILLIAM P. SHAKS.

